Rotary and sliding ball bearing



Aug. 29, 1950 T. F. SCHLICKSUPP ROTARY AND SLIDING BALL BEARING Filed Nov. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 14 INVENTOR fleadare ZJdikZ-isvpy- Z/ Aug. 29, 1950 "r. F. SCHLICKSUPP ROTARY AND SLIDING BALL BEARING Filed Nov. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Manda/v .ZJc/fzkiszap ATTORNEYS V UNITED'IST'ATES PATENT OFFICE U amass mgrusascmm'r.

Application Novcmber s1. s, Serial no. 111.440

I s Gains. (cl. cos-sl This-invention relates to ball best-inse- Itisirequently desirabletommmtashaitin abearingsothattheshattcaneitherrotateor slide rectilinearly in the bearing-or the bearing can eitherrotate or slide on the shaft.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved antii'riction ball bearing for shafts which will permit either relative rotary movement or relative rectilinear sliding movement between the shaft and hearing.

A rotary and'sliding ballbearing the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cut away perspective view of the 2-4 illustrate the construction of the sleeve portion or theblll race member; Fig. 2 .being a transverse section through such sleeve portion; Pig. 3 a longitudinal section through it; and 11g. 4 a development of it:

Pig. 5 is a longitudinal section through one of the end ball-guiding rings on the'race member; Fig.0 is an inside lace view of the ball-guiding ring shown in Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7-9 illustrate the construction of the eeve which-contains the ball-return grooves: Fig. 7 being a longitudinal section through such sleeve; Pig. 8' an end view of it; and Pig. 9 a development of it. i

Referring first to Fig. 1, a shaft-to be rotatably and slidably mounted in the ball bearing is represented at l. race member I. This member comprises a sleevelike portion 3 illustrated'byitself in Figs. 2-4, and two end rings 4, one of which is illustrated by itself in longitudinal section in Fig. 5 and in side view in Pig. 6. The sleeve'lilre portion I 01' theslotsdm'ingessemblyoithebearingn'om droppi s inwardly through them. The endvvullsv oieachslotarecurvedupwardlyasshownatl i l'issiands. v

Theinnercorneroieachendringlnearest the race sleeve 3 is cut out to give it a concave shape, as. shown at l in Fig. -5. The concave surface thus formed is provided with a series ,0!

' ball-guiding grooves 8. There is one of such moves for each of the slots 5 in the race sleeve and in the assembled bearing the inner ends of the grooves in the end rings register with the 90 The race sleeve 3 fits within a shorter ball- The shaft fits loosely in a ball the race member will'hereinaiter be referred to fit on the ends of the race sleeve 3 or are otherwise secured to it so that they constitute in eflect unitary parts of the race member.

The race sleeve 3 is shown in longitudinal secticninl'ig. landadevelopmentoftherace sleeve. isshowninl'ig.4. Asshowninthesefigures as the race sleeve. The end rings l have a force butaredisposedatanangleoifi'withrespeot axis. In other words.-the slots extend spirally around-the sleeve at an angle-oi thesleeveaxis. Iachslotisslightlynariaceoi'theracesleevethan,

return sleeve 9 which is illustrated by itself in Figs. 7-9. As shown in these figures the outer surface or the sleeve s has a number of individual spiral bail-return grooves Ill each of which is disposed at an angle or 45' with the sleeve axis.

There is one of these grooves for each of the slots gether with the corresponding overlying ballreturn groove in' the sleeve 8 and their interconnecting oblique grooves in the end rings 4 con-'- stitute an endless individual ball circuit. Each oi these circuits is completely filled with antii'riction balls II as shown in Fig. 1. The ballretum sleeve Iv is oisuch length that when-the vexedoutwardlyasshcwninl'igsland'lso 'thatthe suriacesiormed .by them are substantially parallel to the curved end walls of the ball races, i. e., the curved end walls formed by the curvedportionslattheendsottheslotslin circumferential direction.

The ball-return sleeve I has a force fit within an outer sleeve is (Fig. 1) which closes over the open tops of the spiral grooves ill in the outer surface of the ball-return sleeve. The outer sleeve It extends longitudinally beyond the opposite ends of the ball-return sleeve as shown in Fig. 1 and receives the end rings 4 on the race member with a force fit. Thus all parts of the 1 in a housing represented at l4 and is held in fixed relation to it in any suitable way;

The antlfriction balls II are of such size in relation'to the thickness of the wall of therrace "sleeve 3 that those balls which at any time happen to be in the portions of the slots 5 that extend-entirely through the wall of the race sleeve will make contact with the shaft I and also with the inner cylindrical surface of the ball-return sleeve 9. These are the load-carrying balls. Those balls which roll in contact with the curved ends 6 of the slots 6 as well as the balls guided in the grooves 8 of the end rings 4, and all of the balls in the return grooves ID of the ballreturn sleeve 9 carry no load and have free movement in their respective passages, it being understood that such passages are made large enough with respect to the size of the balls to permit their free movement. Also, it should be understood that the slots I in the race sleeve are slightly greater in width than the diameter of 21hr; balls to permit the balls to roll freely in the It will now be seen that the shaft I can either rotate in the bearing or can move rectilinearly in it. and no matter which type of movement takes place all of the load-carrying balls in the slots 5 in the race sleeve will be rolled along in contact with the surface of the shaft and with the inner surface of the ball-return sleeve 9. Rectilinear movement of the shaft will, of course, tend to roll tion of the shaft, and rotation of the shaft will tend to roll the load-carrying balls in a truly But since the slots in the sleeve 3 are disposed at an angle of 45 with respect to the axis of the shaft they will guide or deflect the load-carrying balls and cause them;

to roll along lengthwise of the slots regardless of whether the shaft moves rectilinearly in either direction or rotates in either direction. In any case the rolling of the load-carrying balls will cause all of the balls in the corresponding ball direction and the progression of the balls in the corresponding ball-return groove in the sleeve 9 being in the opposite direction. Thus the load- 'carrying balls that are rolling out of one of the race slots 5 in the race sleeve 3 roll up into the 1 corresponding ball-return passage ill in thesleeve I and in so doing are guided by the corresponda 4 or sliding movement of the shaft is relative to the bearing, but it will be understood'that the shaft may be stationary and the entire bearing including the housing may slide axially of the shaft or rotate about the shaft.

I claim;

l, A rotary and sliding ball bearing comprising a race member having a race sleeve adapted to loosely surround a shaft, a ball-return sleeve surrounding the race sleeve, the race sleeve having a number of spiral slots disposed at an angle of with the axis of the sleeve, the ball-return sleeve having a smooth inner surface and having grooves in its outer surface each of which lies radiallyabove one of the slots in the race sleeve and is parallel to it, and an outer sleeve surrounding said ball-return sleeve and covering said grooves inits outer surface, means at opposite ends of the race member for establishin a ball-guiding path from opposite ends of each slot in the race sleeveto opposite ends of the corresponding groove inthe ball-return sleeve to thereby provide a number of endless ball circuits, all of said partsbeing held in fixed relation to one another, and antifriction balls completely filling each of such endless ball circuits, at least some of the balls in the slots in the race sleeve constituting load-carrying balls adapted when the bearing is assembled on a shaft to make rolling contact with the shaft and the inner surface of the ball-return sleeve.

2. A rotary and sliding ball bearing comprising a race member having a race sleeve adapted to loosely surround a shaft, a ball-return sleeve surrounding the race sleeve, the race sleeve having a number of spiral slots disposed at an angle of 45 with the axis of the sleeve, the ball-return sleeve having a smooth inner surface and having grooves in its outer surface each of which lies radially above one of the slots in the race sleeve and is parallel toit, rings fixed to opposite ends of the race sleeve and having grooves extending from opposite ends of each slot in the race sleeve to the ing ball-guiding groove in the end ring 4. A

corresponding number of balls will roll downward from the opposite end of the ball-return groove into the corresponding end of the race slot in the 1 race sleeve and in so doing will be guided by the opposite ends of the corresponding groove in the ball-return sleeve to. thereby provide a number of endless ball circuits, an outer sleeve surrounding the ball-return sleeve and covering said grooves in its outer surface, said outer sleeve extending longitudinally beyond the opposite ends of'the ball-return sleeve so as to overlie the rings fixed on the race sleeve, said portions of the outer sleeve that overlie said rings being fixed to them, and antifriction balls completely filling each of said endless ball circuits, at least some of the balls in the slots in the race sleeve constituting load carrying balls adapted when the bearing is assembled on a shaft to make rolling contact with the shaft and the inner surface of the ball-return sleeve;

3. A rotary and sliding ball bearing comprising a race member having a race sleeve adapted to loosely surround a shaft, a ball-return sleeve surrounding the race sleeve, the race sleeve having a number of spiral slots disposed at anangle of 45 with the axis of the sleeve, the ball-return sleeve having a smooth inner surface and having grooves in its outer surface each of which lies radially above one of the slots in the race sleeve and is parallel to it, rings having a force fit on opposite ends of the race sleeve and having ball-guiding grooves extending from opposite ends of each slot in the race sleeve to the opposite ends of the corresponding groove in the ball-return sleeve to thereby provide a number of endless ball circuits, an outer sleeve surrounding the ball-return sleeve 8 and having a force it thereon and coverln: aid grooves in its outer surface, said outer sleeve extending longitudinally beyond opposite ends of the ball-return sleeve so as to overlie the rings on the race sleeve, said portions of the outer sleeve that overlie said rings having a force flt on the rings. and antifriction balls completely filling each of said endless ball circiuts, at least some of the balls in the slots in the race sleeve constituting load-carrying balls adapted when the bearing is assembled on a shaft to make rolling-contact with the shaft and the inner surface of the bailretum sleeve.

THEODORE I". SCHHCKSUPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile 0! this patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 782,347 Lldbnck Feb. 14, 1905 2,355,317 Moore Aug. 8, 1944 1 FOREIGN mum's Number Country Date 125,573 Austria 1931 France 1933 

